verify checkbox not working

[learningcurve]

Hi,

I have a form with a checkbox.  I want to require users to read the statement and check the box before they can submit form. 

Here is the checkbox from the form (form2.php):

<p><strong><input type="checkbox" id="certify" name="certify" value="Yes" <?php if ($pgdata['printed']=='Yes') echo 'checked'; ?> >  I verify that I have followed the proposal guidelines
above and that my proposal includes citations of relevant literature and a reference list in APA format, a discussion
of evidence of learning outcomes, and a description of how the session will be run.</strong></p>

 

Here is the code from the javascript page:

function stopWithAlert(msg,targ) {
window.alert(msg);
targ.focus();
return false;
}


function verifyForm() {
var requiredPeopleFields, pplErrs, a, b, c;
requiredPeopleFields = ["first_name", "last_name", "department", "institution", "city", "country", "office_phone", "email_address"];
pplErrs = peopleErrors(requiredPeopleFields);
if (pplErrs) { return stopWithAlert("Please fill in this presenter's "+pplErrs.name.replace("_", " ")+".", pplErrs); }

if (realForm.title.value==='') { return stopWithAlert("Please enter the title of this session.", realForm.title); }

if (CKEDITOR.instances.abstr.getData()==='') { return stopWithAlert("Please provide an abstract of your session.", CKEDITOR.instances.abstr); }

if (document.getElementById('requestedFormat1')) {
	for (a=1; a<=3; a++) {
		if (document.getElementById('requestedFormat'+a).selectedIndex===0) {
			return stopWithAlert("Please indicated your preferred presentation format in order of preference.", document.getElementById('requestedFormat'+a));
		} else {
			for (b=1; b<=3; b++) {
				if (a!==b && document.getElementById('requestedFormat'+a).selectedIndex===document.getElementById('requestedFormat'+b).selectedIndex) {
					return stopWithAlert("Please indicated your preferred presentation format in order of preference. You cannot choose the same format twice.", document.getElementById('requestedFormat'+a));
				}
			}
		}
	}
}

for (c=1; c<=3; c++) {
	if (realForm['keyword'+c].selectedIndex===0 || (realForm['keyword'+c].selectedIndex===realForm['keyword'+c].options.length-1 && realForm['keyword'+c+'_other']==='')) {
		return stopWithAlert("Please select at least three keywords that apply to this session.", realForm['keyword'+c]);
	}
}

if (realForm.paper && realForm.paper.value==='') { return stopWithAlert("Please attach your written proposal.", realForm.paper); }

if (!realForm.certify.checked) { return stopWithAlert("Please review your submission and then mark the checkbox at the bottom of the page."); }

//Otherwise, looks good!
return true;
}

 

I did not write the initial code - I only added the checkbox and the js line about certify that the checkbox is checked.  I do not get any errors and I can submit the form regardless of checkbox status.  I am clueless and not very knowledgeable at this point of either php or javascript.